Question

1) Why would the anterior portion of the nose be cartilage instead of bone?

2) Some elderly patients have difficulty swallowing and closing their epiglottis. Would this cause any potential problems in the respiratory system?

3) What are the two things shown or implied in slide 26 that work together for a particular goal? What is their purpose? If either is not performing, would performance be compromised?

4) Slide 40 shows emphysema reducing the total surface area of the alveoli. Where else have we seen surface area being important in A&P?

5) OPTIONAL Draw two close segments of the lung (schematically) and draw why infections going from one to another are somewhat inhibited because of the anatomy. Draw the same two area but without being contained in segments and draw why an infection can go more easily from one of the regions to the other region.

6) Referring to the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve (slide 76), would a healthy patient benefit from breathing in a higher percentage of O2 such as when visiting an “oxygen bar”. Would there potentially be any benefit via a different route than hemoglobin (but isn’t)?

7) Relate the three factors affecting the affinity of Hb for O2 on slide 77, to exercise. Does each have any connection to exercise?

8) Since a person always needs oxygen, why would the bronchioles have the ability to contract at all? Why would the trachea not have that ability?

Answer 1

1. HYALINE CARTILAGE is found at the tip of the nose.

Anterior portion of the nose is supported by two cartilages. The upper cartilage supports the side of the nose. The lower cartilage adds supports, width and height of the nose. The cartilages also helps in shaping the nostrils and the tip of the nose.  

Since nose is the most anterior portion of the face, presence of cartilage helps in providing support to the bone and also prevents it from getting injured during any injury.

2. When we swallow, a flap called the epiglottis moves to block the entrance of food particles into your larynx and lungs. In this case, the elderly person has difficulty in swallowing and closing of epiglottis. This may cause the food to enter into the lungs instead of oesophagus. This may then cause potential problems to the person such as pneumonia and drowning of the lungs as well as no nourishment for the body and brain as no food would be entering the stomach.